With conference play starting, SHU softball stepped up to the plate in dominant fashion, opening their home Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) campaign with a series win over Niagara University (NU). The Pioneers hosted the Purple Eagles this weekend and dominated their doubleheader, bouncing them back from their series loss last week away at Rider University.
The Pioneers faced off against the Rider University Broncs last weekend, resulting in a 2-1 series loss.
“I thought we were prepared, but Sunday we just let our bats shut down and we didn’t give it enough fight. We’re prepared to not let that happen again,” said Head Coach Pam London.
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The Pioneers then faced Stony Brook University in a mid-week doubleheader, resulting in a 1-1 series tie, taking the first game and dropping the second. However, the Pioneers softball team is a very close-knit group who are highly motivated and ready to bounce back.
“I think just working on believing in ourselves and picking each other up and getting momentum going into the weekend is going to be really important,” said sophomore Jess Brown.
Heading into their MAAC home opener this past weekend, the team really homed in on where their focus is now.
“Take every game by the game itself. Game by game, inning by inning, pitch by pitch. We’re just trying to win the little things right now,” said junior pitcher Sam Kowalski. “Those are the little wins we are taking and are going to give us a bigger win at the end of the day.”
“We’re certainly confident going into league play. We know that we’re battling every weekend. League is just a different animal,” said London.
The Pioneers defeated the Niagara Purple Eagles in a two-game sweep on Saturday, March 29. In the first game, the Eagles scored two quick runs, but the Pioneers’ bats got hot in the second, bringing in four runs. In the remaining five innings, the teams traded off runs, but Sacred Heart won 5-3.
In the second game between the two schools on Saturday, the Pioneers again had their bats go hot, scoring five runs in the third inning and four runs in the sixth inning to take a commanding 12-3 lead. The Pioneers out-hit their opponent 10-4.
Running off their two game streak and heading in the third and final game of the series on Sunday, the Pioneers came out strong once again. They rolled a 9-1 win over Niagara in six innings. This game secured a weekend sweep for SHU, and the first three-game series win in the MAAC.
The weekend series brings their conference record to 4-2, placing them fourth with an overall record of 14-13 on the season.
Sacred Heart Athletics contributed to this article.
